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They may be out of a job, but three disgraced Quebec politicians received tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded golden handshakes since leaving their government jobs.

Quebec law stipulates that elected officials who have spent more than two years in office are entitled to a severance allowance - and they don't have to forfeit the cash if they are convicted of a crime committed during their term.

The payment is calculated by multiplying their average bi-weekly pay by the number of years since 1992 that they've been in office.

The latest Quebec politician to resign in shame and collect money is Richard Marcotte, the former mayor of Mascouche, a town just north of Montreal, who left office Friday. He is facing charges including fraud and corruption relating to an alleged municipal contract kickback scheme.

QMI Agency learned that the disgraced politician has already received a cheque worth over $70,600. He is also expected to collect another payment of over $87,000 in the next 90 days to help him transition to a new job.

Since leaving office in early November amid corruption allegations, Gilles Vaillancourt, the former mayor of Quebec's third-largest city, has received $250,000. The former mayor of Laval has not been charged with any crime, but could be soon. Provincial police in recent weeks raided his home, financial institutions, and Laval city hall.

Finally, a Montreal paper reported on Saturday that according to documents obtained through an access to information request, the former number two man at Montreal City Hall received almost $168,000 in severance after he resigned in 2008.

Frank Zampino was the president of Montreal's powerful executive committee and was arrested in May. He is facing a slew of charges including fraud and corruption in connection with a municipal land sale.

Claire Joly, executive director for the Quebec branch of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, told QMI Agency that these three cases represent a "major problem."

"If the three former politicians are convicted of a crime they should not receive public money," she said. "But in practice, it is very difficult to enforce."

Sylvain Gaudreault, provincial minister for municipal affairs, said the law is the law.

"It's shocking ... but the law is such that a mayor, after a certain number of years, has the right to a bonus," he said.

- With files from Jean-Louis Fortin

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Disgraced Quebec politicians showered in taxpayer cash

They may be out of a job, but three disgraced Quebec politicians received tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded golden handshakes since leaving their government jobs.

Quebec law stipulates that elected officials who have spent more than two years in office are entitled to a severance allowance - and they don't have to forfeit the cash if they are convicted of a crime committed during their term.

The payment is calculated by multiplying their average bi-weekly pay by the number of years since 1992 that they've been in office.